Changing Colors

Now that cow work is temporarily over for me, I’m trying to finish up some long overdue plans for my studio. I’ve been avoiding my studio lately… not because I want to, just because I can’t hardly stand to be in it!

Remember my no name cat… and kittens… and feeling sorry for them in the deepest cold of winter and hating the evidence of mice I was seeing in there? So, I left windows open and gave them a litter box… well. They pooped behind every cabinet in there. On the bare concrete. Oh, yes, I cleaned it up, but the scent remains.

I was hoping to paint the floor and see if it’d seal in the smell, but everything I read says, no. So… I’m scrubbing and soaking and scrubbing… letting it dry… scrubbing some more. And along the way, I decided to paint some of my cabinets to match my wood stove!

I’ve always preferred wood to painted furniture, but there was so much wood out there, I do believe the green is looking good.

I will post a pic when I finish the cabinets… but it might be a while. I need to buy more cleaner and scrub moremoremore along the way.

Anyone ever have success at cleaning up this ghastly smell? After all my hard work on this place, I hate the idea of abandoning it because it stinks!

We had this trouble in a rental. A veterinarian told us to clean with pinesol cleaner and then paint with roofing paint, the metallic kind. We also have had success with an enzyme odor remover but they can take multiple applications and weeks to work.

First choice, if you can find it, is Simple Solution. Same as Nature’s Miracle, but costs less. Find a large spray bottle. Spray the product onto the surface the cats abused – saturate it. Don’t mop up, let it dry. Do it again. If the spray gets on anything else, relax, it’s not going to hurt it. I use it on everything in the house, including clothing, and in laundry (especially dog laundry, we use a lot of washable pee pads to accommodate the super-seniors). For laundry, use it as a pre-wash if the load needs bleaching, as bleach will kill the enzymes.

Are you going to lay vinyl on the concrete when you get it unstunk? (That’s a word because I say so.) If so, get some kitty-litter deodorizer with zeolite. The brand I have on hand is “Litter Maid” but I don’t know if that label still exists. Look for some combination of “zeolite/deodorizer/stable/horses” – comes in buckets 5# and larger, that’s the stuff. Sprinkle that on the dry concrete. I would lay down a layer and push it around with a disposable dusting/dry mop for full coverage. Don’t vac it up. Leave it there; lay the vinyl over it.

I don’t have any concrete (dog run is pea gravel) but I cured a hopelessly foul hardwood floor this way, and it worked on the carpet in Abby & Gato’s room after they went to the Great Catnip Field in the Sky.

Scrubbing with household cleaners isn’t going to do it, but I think you’ll be able to love (and use) your studio again with the help of enzymes and zeolite.

I endorse OdoBan too – I use it where I need to sanitize*, but for major or persistent odors I start with the enzyme treatment.

“Sanitize” this year means all the cupboards that had any kind of food in them at the time of the Vile Vole Invasion last winter, and every place they traversed in search of food. That’s a whole ‘nuther discussion.

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Carol, Wyoming Ranch Wife

Welcome to Red Dirt In My Soul. If you’re interested in the western lifestyle, curious about where your beef comes from, or just love Wyoming’s wide open spaces… this blog is for you! Since 2008, I’ve tried to capture my life on our Wyoming Centennial Ranch. That includes cows, cowboys, four generations living and working together, scenery, wildlife, and my various projects from remodeling to crafting! Enjoy a movie, ask a question, and spread the word about Red Dirt!

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